albergee



(No Model.)

. ALBERGER SURFACE CONDENSER.

Patented Mar. 3, 1891.

' UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE;

Louis B; ALBERGER, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM A. PERRY AND CHARLES C. \VORTHINGTO N, BOTH OFSAME PLACE.

SURFACE CONDENSER.-

SPECIFICAT IOR forming part of Letters Patent'No. {147,285, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed eptember 9,1890. Serial No. 364,491. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS R. ALBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residingat New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surface Condensers, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same,

This invention relates to surface condensers, its object being to provide a condenser of this kind invwhich the degree of the vacuum and the temperature of the water of condensation may be adjustable independently of the amount of temperature of the coolingwater or other cooling medium passed through the condenser.

The usual method of condensation in that class of engines with which surface condensers are employed is well known and need not be particularly described herein, it being understood that the exhaust-steam, being led by the eXhaust-pipeof the engine to one end or side of the condenser, is condensed therein, and the water of condensation, together with air and uncondensable vapor, is drawn off from the other end or side of the condenser by an air-pump, and is passed to the hot well,

from which the boiler is fed.

The form of surface condenser in general use consists of a series of pipes connected at their ends by steam-tight heads, the whole being inclosed in a casing. The steam may be passed through the pipes and cold water forced through the casing, or vice versa, as.

desired. This form of condenser is modified in many ways, the principle, however, remain ing the same, bywhich a supply of cold water passed through the condenser cools the surface with which the exhaust-steam from the engine is brought in contactand condensed.

While myimproved condenser is of generallivered to the hot well by the air-pump should be as high as possible consistently with the production of the best vacuum. It is necessary, therefore, that every condensing-engine of this classshall be provided with means by 7 which the condensation and the temperature of the water drawn off from the condenser may be adjusted, and this adjustment has.'

heretofore been secured by varying the amount of water passing through the condenser. p

In pumping-engines it is impracticable to vary the amount of water passing through expended varies greatly in this class of engines depending upon the pressure in the force-main and the amount and temperature of the Water pumped. It has heretofore been customary, therefore, to provide pumping-engines with either an independent water-cir-.

culating system for the" condenser by which the amount of water passing through the latter may be adjusted independently of the amount of water passing through the"main,or with means for reheating the-water of condensation. This necessitates either another and independent-pump or a system of valves and pipes to deflect aportion of the main .j

water through the condenser. I secure aperfect adjustment of the condensation while permitting all the water of the main to pass through the condenser and avoid the use of any independent circulating system or reheater by providi'ng acondenser in which the effectiveness of the total condensing-surface is adjusted by varying the proportions of the cooling medium acting upon different parts of the condensing-surface.

For a full understanding of my invention a description of a condenser embodying my invention will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters of reference indicate like parts, and in WhiCHT'f 1 well.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a condenser provided with a disk-valve for directing the flow of water within the condenser. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. .5 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a 0011- denser having a gate-valve, and Fig. -.t is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the condenseris formed of a casin g A,provided to with steam-tight heads B C, between which extend a series of pipes or tubes D, and a larger pipe or tube E, which pipes form the condensing-surface of the condenser. The casing A is provided with a port F, through I 5 which the exhaust-steam enters the condenser, and with a port G on the opposite side of the condenser, through which the 'water' of con- "densation and the air are drawn from the condenser by the air-pump and led to the hot The-casing of the condenser is provided at each end outside the heads B O with chambers H I, communicating with the pipes of the condenser, and with which the water-main 25 K connects for the passage of the water to and from the'condenser, this main K being either the suction or force main of .the engine,

as preferred. The larger pipe E is preferably placed, as shown, centrally of f the condenser '30 and virtually forms a continuation of the main K through the latter between the chambers H I. To control the flow of water through the pipe E, and consequently that through the v 5 pipes D, a valve 0. is provided, carried by a screw-rod I), provided with a handle 0, by which it may be operated to carry the valve a, to or from the main port. This valve may .be placed either at the induction or discharge 0 end of the condenser. By the closing movement of this valve the flow through the pipe E is retarded by the decrease in the area of the passage and increase in friction upon the valve and more of the water directed through 4 5 ment the eifect is reversed.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a similar construction is shown, except that a gate-valve is used in place of' the disk-valve a. This valve Z is pivoted in lugs e, mounted on the head B and swings inside the pipe E, the valve being oscillated by means of the spool f, engaging the stem of the valve and moving on a screw-rodg, mounted in the casing of chamber H, and :5 5 provided with a handle 2'.

- It will be seen that in this construction the pipe E forms a partof the condensing-surface, and by the movement of the valve a or d the relative'amounts of water acting upon the be adjusted as desired. By adjusting the valve to allow more water to pass through the-pipeE, and consequently diminishing the amount of water passing through the pipes D, the temperature of the condensing-surface of the latter will be raised. By shutting off part of the water from the pipe E the amount that relation which results in thegreatest the water-pipes D, and by. the opening movedifferent parts of the condensing-surface iriay of water passing through the pipes D is increased and the temperature of the condensing-su rface of the latter correspondingly lowered. While the amount of water passing through pipe E is increased or diminished exactly in inverse ratio to that passing through the pipes D, the effect of the water upon the condensing-surface of pipe E and pipes D is not the same on account of the larger bore of pipe E and the rise or fall in the temperature of the surface of pipes D only partially compensated for by the consequent fall or rise in temperature in the surface of pipe E. The temperature of the water of condensation and the degree of vacuum therefore will-be varied by the movement of the valve, and an accurate adj ustment of the condensation may thus be secured without varying the amount of water passing through the condenser, so that the vacuum produced and the temperature of the water of condensation shall bearto each other economy in the operation of the engine. The result stated will be obtained, although the condensing-surface of pipe E is exactly equal to the total condensing-surface of pipes D, since, as stated above, the cooling e'fiect of the water in the pipesE and D does not vary as the amount. A wider variation for each movement of the valve maybeobtained,how ever, by constructing the condensing-surfaces of different areas, so that the effect of the water is varied not only'by the relative bores of the pipes E and D, but by the relative areas of the condensing-surface acted upon by the water as it is directed through the different parts of the condenser. By employing only two pipes of different bores or having condensing-surfaces of different areas a similar adjustment may be obtained; but the series give a wide variation, and this construction is preferable.

XVhileI have shown a condenser formed of a series of pipes surrounded by a casing, my invention may be embodiedin any other form of surface condenser, that shown being but one of the ordinary forms and selected as that found most convenient for use and best illustrating my invention. It is evident, also, that the special construction of the condenser shown and the means of adjustment may be varied widely by one skilled in the art without departing from my invention, andthat any other suitable means may be employed for adjusting the relative amounts of water acting upon the different parts of the condensing-s urface.

V \Vhat I claim is- 1 1. Asurface condenser provi ed with means for varying relatively to each other. the amounts of cooling medium acting upon different parts of tlwnondensing-surface, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a surface condenser provided with two or more condensing- Itf surfaces of different areas, of means for varying relatively to each otherthe amounts of faces, substantially as-descrihed. 4 3. The combination," with a surface coil- 5 denser provided with two or more condensing-pipes of diiferent bores through which the cooling 'mediumpasses, of means for vacooling mediumacting upon-the diiferentsur- 1 rying the amount of cooling ridium passing through the different pipes, s

bstantially as described.

4. The combination, with a surface condenser. provided with two or more condensing-pipes of dilferent bores and different condensing areas through which the c'ooling medium passes, of means foryaryin'g the amount of cooling medium passing through the dif- 'ferent pipessubstantially as described,

5; The combination, with a surfacecoridenser provided with a pipe through which a. part of the-cooling medium passes and whichforms apart'of the condensing-surface, of a valve controlling said pipe, whereby the relative amounts of I cooling medium passing through said pipe and other parts of the com denser may be adjusted, substantially as .described.

- r. 6. The combination, with a surface condenser' provided with a series of condenser.- I pipes, and a I pipe of larger hole through whichia part of the cooling medium passes and'which'for' s a part of the condensingsurface, of a-valve controlling said larger pipe, whereby the relative amounts of cooling medium passing through the larger and i a valve controlling the pipe -E, substantially smaller pipesflma be adjusted, substantially.

as described.

7 The combination, with the main of a I pumping-engine, of a surface condenser through. which the water of the main passes, the steam-exhaust entering said condenser, a 40 discharge-pipe for the water-of condensation, and'm'eans foradjusting relatively to eachv other the amounts of water acting upon dif ferent parts' of the condensing-surface, sulpstautially as described.

8. The combination, with the mainof a r pumping-engine, 'of 'a.su'rface condenser pro-r vided with condensing-pipes of difierent bores through which the water of the maiu passes, the steam-exhaustent'ering said'condenser, a so discharge;pipe for thewater of condensation, and means for varying the amount of water passing through the'difierent pipes, substantially-as described. v

9., The combinatiomwiththe main K, of the casing A, pipe E, and series of pipes D,

'through'which the water-of. themain passes,

steam exhaust and discharge pipes F G, and

as described;v v 1 g y In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand-in the'presence ,of two subscribing witnesses.

W Louis-R.- -ALBER I I D. H, JOHNSON,

. B. W. PIERsortf 

